On the second day of the U.S. Conference of Mayors 85th Winter Meeting, Ed Murray, Mayor of Seattle, and Greg Stanton, Mayor of Phoenix, announced their support for Tom Perez for DNC chair. Both mayors cited their personal experiences working with Tom and his long track record as a progressive leader.

These endorsements follow those of Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, and three former Democratic mayors, Shirley Franklin, Michael Nutter, and Doug Palmer. Mayor Stanton's announcement also follows Tom's appearance at last weekend's DNC Future Forum in Phoenix.

"My roots are in local government, and I am proud to count Mayor Murray and Mayor Stanton among our supporters," said Tom Perez. "They know what it takes to engage directly with Democrats block-by-block and will play an important role as we turnaround our party."

Ed Murray, Mayor of Seattle, Washington:

"Tom Perez has spent his life standing up for our shared values, fighting for what's right and getting things done.

"I've seen Tom in action. He worked to settle the west coast ports dispute that put people back to work and avoided significant damage to our economy. Tom pushed the administration to support a $15 minimum wage in states and cities across the country, including Seattle. Tom tackled police reforms when he was leading the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division when I was a newly elected Mayor.

"Our party is in need of a leader like Tom, someone who can turnaround the DNC. Tom has the experience to move our party forward and I'm proud to call him a friend and support him to lead the Democratic party."

Greg Stanton, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona:

"We need a progressive leader who can turn the Democratic Party around and that person is Tom Perez. The next DNC chair must be able to take on big fights and win, speak to the broad tent of our party, and rebuild our party from the grassroots up.

"Tom knows Arizona, and has taken on bullies like Joe Arpaio and Jan Brewer when they were trying to silence immigrant families here in Arizona. He has a gift and ability to connect with voters anywhere, whether in the rural parts of our state or the urban areas of Phoenix. He understands the importance of bringing our message of economic opportunity directly to voters in every community. Tom stands for the values of inclusion and equal opportunity for which so many Democrats and Americans stand."